One thing I had growing up was absolutely perfect roast beef. I have tried many times to emulate my mums beef. But never could I do it, until today. See mum had been taught by the best (grandma) all the recipes I every read recommended 20 mins per pound plus 20 mins. But it never came out succulent like my mums did. It was always chewy, and hard to digest that is until today. I finally mastered it, it seems it’s about what you do with it before hand. The temp it’s cooked on and the amount of time, all combined to make the perfect roast.
It’s all about time, no good thing should be rushed. I remember walking in from church every Sunday to the smell of Sunday, the smell would stay with me forever as the smell of Sunday, as we never seemed to have it on any other day. Roast chicken was also a smell of Sunday, but sometimes we had that midweek so it never really was competition to knock Beef off of the top Sunday smell spot. Even when I smell it now I am still transported back to those times. It’s funny isn’t it how smells do that. What was it Jules said on top gear when describing his Morris minor police car. ” wind the window down 2 inches and smell through the window. Law and order 1968 right there ” you are transported back to that time in your mind. Not 1968 in this case I was just born in that year.
A friend of mine was talking about juicing the other day, he asked me for a suggestion. I said mango and strawberries. He said he could taste that in his mind, can you do that?
Back to the beef, on Halloween we had a roast for lunch so we had plenty in our bellies when we went to our party. I asked the chief how to do it, he responded by saying that the key to a great roast is to seal it on all sides in a pan. Then to cook it for 3 1/2 – 4 hours on a lower heat. Like 150 degrees. I must confess though I did leave the 3 lb joint marinating in maple syrup over night. The knife just glided effortlessly through the meat when I cut it, I hope you can taste in your mind because it tasted absolutely fabulous. So what’s the point in this blog to talk to you about my beef joint? No you know me better than that by now. The point is this.
That good things can’t be rushed, that it’s all about foundations. Normally I would have cooked that joint for 1 hr 20 mins on a higher heat and still be chewing it now. Because as most of you know I don’t have any mowlars as most were removed for me to have a bone marrow transplant. It’s about taking your time to get things right not rushing anything. The longer it takes the better it is in most cases. My wife never speeds on the roads. She says “it’s better to be late in this life, than early in the next”
Have a great week, and take your time.
Mark
http://www.fonzandcancer.com
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Everything you read are based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something to you it will to someone else. It took me an hour to write, but will take you a second to share.